5/5 Alberto Rodriguez A. 3 years ago on Google • 411 reviews
Lombard
Street,
a
picturesque
street
that
has
become
one
of
the
most
coveted
places
by
tourists.
And
the
stretch
that
runs
between
Hyde
and
Leavenworth
streets,
a
sinuous
and
steep
route
of
eight
horseshoe
curves
flanked
by
luxurious
mansions
and
flower
beds
full
of
flowers,
in
the
heart
of
the
city,
surprises
and
captivates
in
equal
measure.
The
route,
designed
in
the
1920s
to
allow
traffic
on
a
road
that
had
a
27%
gradient,
has
turned
the
descent
of
Russian
Hill
–
one
of
the
more
than
40
hills
in
the
Californian
town
–
into
an
entire
experience,
whether
on
foot
or
by
car.
And
some
side
stairs
located
next
to
the
houses,
on
both
sides
of
the
street,
also
allow
pedestrians
to
brave
the
steep
slope.
Although
Lombard
Street
is
an
exclusive
street
that
extends
from
the
Presidio
of
San
Francisco,
in
its
northern
part,
to
Coit
Tower
and
Embarcadero,
crossing
different
neighborhoods,
the
125
meters
of
red
cobblestones
emulating
a
snake
are
its
true
epicenter
and
one
of
the
busiest
spots
in
the
city.
Hundreds
of
curious
onlookers
and
tourists
come
every
day
to
watch
the
contour
of
the
cars
as
they
descend
slowly
in
a
dizzying
zigzag,
or
to
feel
firsthand
the
experience
of
driving
along
it.
The
maximum
speed
of
the
section
is
limited
to
5
miles
per
hour
(approximately
8
km/h),
and
the
descent
-
in
the
past
the
road
was
two-way
-
is
usually
done
in
a
caravan,
something
that
adds
a
certain
beauty
to
the
image,
especially
all
if
viewed
from
the
bottom
of
the
section.
Leavenworth
Street
is
the
place
where
the
best
photographs
are
taken,
especially
in
spring
and
summer,
when
the
flowers
that
adorn
the
flower
beds
show
off
their
colors
in
all
their
splendor
and
where
most
tourists
tend
to
gather.
From
the
junction
with
Hyde,
at
the
top
of
the
hill,
however,
the
views
over
San
Francisco
Bay,
the
bridge
and
the
Coit
Tower
are
truly
spectacular.
Approaching
Lombard
Street
does
not
entail
any
complications.
Located
a
short
distance
from
Columbus
Avenue,
a
major
artery
that
runs
diagonally
across
North
Beach
and
Chinatown,
it
is
accessible
by
bus,
cable
car
-
the
traditional
tram
-
or
private
car.
However,
the
“success”
of
this
street
also
has
its
less
friendly
side.
For
years,
residents,
tired
of
traffic
-
queues
on
weekends
and
in
summer
can
reach
20
minutes
-,
crowds,
lack
of
civility
and
noise,
have
demanded
from
the
Administration
a
regulation
that
guarantees
coexistence.
In
order
to
reduce
tourist
pressure,
municipal
authorities
have
approved
establishing
a
toll
per
vehicle
of
five
dollars
a
day
and
ten
on
weekends,
with
prior
reservation,
which
will
mean
an
improvement
in
the
area.
Although,
surprisingly,
it
is
not
the
steepest
road
in
San
Francisco,
its
original
route
has
made
it
one
of
the
best
known.
Vermont
Street,
between
20th
and
22nd
Streets,
in
Potrero
Hill,
with
only
seven
curves,
is
less
spectacular,
but
it
is
still
a
little
steeper,
a
circumstance
that
has
been
taken
away
by
the
Bring
Your
Own
Big
Wheel,
a
crazy
annual
wheel
race
that
Originally,
it
was
set
on
Lombard
Street.
However,
beyond
magnitudes,
what
we
are
convinced
of
is
that
in
no
case
will
it
be
able
to
surpass
it
in
beauty
or
popularity.
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